In recent years, 3D concrete printing has increasingly established itself as a legitimate technology in the construction industry. It can be used to produce buildings faster and more cost-effectively, so experts see great potential in 3D concrete printing to address housing shortages or construct sustainable buildings in difficult environments. So, researchers at the University of Bristol are now investigating how a 3D printed concrete building would withstand an earthquake.
Project leaders Professor Anastasios Sextos and Dr. Raffaele de Risi saw a fundamental research gap in additive manufacturing, which they want to address by collaborating with the University of Bristol. According to them, the experiment aims to “fill the knowledge gap surrounding the dynamic response of 3D-printed units, particularly how they perform under recorded and simulated seismic events.” To do this, the researchers are using the UK’s largest vibrating plate, on which the team is testing an almost life-size 3D printed house made of concrete.
The model house on the UK’s largest vibratory plate
Why Is Research Important?
Additive manufacturing in the construction industry promises the fast and sustainable production of durable and cost-effective buildings. However, the special manufacturing technology differs fundamentally from conventional construction methods due to the layer-by-layer application of the printed material. How such buildings react to seismic forces has not been sufficiently investigated, according to the research team. Additive manufacturing would produce new variables that exceed previous knowledge on earthquake resilience in buildings. Unique material properties and geometries through printing processes make predictions even more complicated.
Identifying the potential strengths and weaknesses of 3D concrete printing in seismic regions should, in the long term, serve to develop safety standards and design guidelines for buildings in seismic regions. Prof. Sextos and Dr. de Risi further emphasize that “the team will identify strengths, weaknesses, and failure mechanisms specific to this construction method.”
The Earthquake Safety Project
The vibrating plate used by the team can carry up to 50 tons of weight. With the help of robot-controlled additive manufacturing with concrete, an almost lifelike model of a 3D-printed house was created. The important thing was to imitate the material composition and geometry of an actual 3D printed house. The team then gradually increased the seismic forces exerted on the model house by the vibrating plate. Each development was recorded in minute detail and monitored in real time.
The data obtained through this process is now being used to assess the structural resilience of the 3D printed unit. A comparison between traditional construction methods is also on the agenda for the research team, alongside the validation of calculation models designed to predict seismic behavior. “These findings will be essential for engineers, architects, and policymakers exploring the future of earthquake-resistant constructions,” the research team said.
A COBOD 3D printer was used to produce the model house
In practice, the research could guide the construction of houses, emergency shelters and infrastructure, with design for greater earthquake resistance in mind. Dr. de Risi argues: “By testing the seismic resilience of 3D-printed concrete for the first time, we’re not just exploring the future of construction—we’re helping shape a safer, smarter, and more adaptive built environment.” You can find more information HERE.
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*All Photo Credits: University of Bristol